The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-05-25
Ghe Aatelirqelrller!:,
WHEELING, W. VA. MAY rs. 1887.



The two assemblies Of the Presbyterian
church, tho one in ses1ion OF Omaha and
the other ut st. Louis, are attempting to
come together on basis Of organic union.
Like the Methodist church the PreSby.
terians are divided into Northern and
Southern wings. and they have thus ex.
listed ever since the war, and will probably
remain apart Tor some time yet. There Is
80 much Of human nature in theee people
80 much Of the old Adam, as 1t is called
that they altogether remind one Of the
way worldly people first quarrel, and
then separate and then hesitate to make
advances looking 10 reconciliation.
There is really no reason for their sep
a,ate existence. Slavery divided them
and Blsvery is dead, and the war has been
over nearly quarter OF a century. Every
body but JeE Davis has returned to his
ALLEGIANCE and the American union Is more
Of unit than ever it was. Nov why is il
that these religious people, PresbJterians
and Methodist, can not "kiss and make
up?" a large number Of both sides, per-
haps the majority, really desire to do 60,
but there are always some people OF in
frencs in their ASSEMBLIES and confer
ences who insist on @ deliyerarce or 40
enuncistion Of such peculiarly worded
character as to make formal reunion dit
6cult if not impossible. For instance,
the majority report Of tho Southern AS
aenbiy, ss presented on Monday, laet de-
clsred that
The mere acceptance OF the common
standards Of our chuIch, confession OF
faith, and the shorter and longer cato.
chisns, do not in our minds form sutii.
cicnt baais Of unicn, but the acceptance Of
that peculiar Interpretation oil our stsnd.
ards which attitn5 and emphasizes the
purely spiritual nature OF Chriss's king
dom anu iorbids her legislatibg upon
political and civil matters IS the only
trus basis Of Union.
This means tina. the politics that enter.
ed into the divieion Of the church, such
as were involved IL the slavery question,
mus: virtually bs apologize for by the
Northern wing. That il to ssy, they
mutt ascent to the Interpretation that the
church nsvsr hai any business TO have
any opinions Gs church on the slavery
question. l! will probably ba some tine
before the Northern wing will est this
dish Of croT.
Now wha, is the sense 10 this SOY! Of
a declaration o. ihia late day? The Chill
dren Of this generG.ioa" who now-a dsys,
as formerly, a:e "Siser tE2n the children
Of light" would not have done ae foolish q
thing SO Ibis. They would hsve ignored
the past eI pat OF ths general settlement
effected By the var and made no de-
nanG5 Tor anJ expression Of opinion that
ha2 its IGols in ante-HaE Issues. This ia
the Wy po!ilicGl AID hIs;a=Es people have
done and co=!icua % Dc, sr1 i:ia the ouly
connoa saase ~? ia vixen any recon.
Citation Of c:Ierencs. cau be reached.
The minority :epOi: .; tEs southern as
5embly iG erea mere prg0ouncsd tnsa the
one :.on whjr4 Ne aavs q3o:ed. Speak.
ing OF tbs d!jeTeac.s b:Scs4a ihe ..o
wings, the minority IsPo1I tsyg:
They arise ?psin.y ous q! the fact that
the two caufcJt4 ~ Lot eg;sed in mat
tiers OF either p!:nc!ple or policy. The
plea that the two E4TG iha sSme comics.
sion OF filth iaay ne fully met by ,ha e;m-
p!ss! s'a.tEsul hist sll the eyaDceIical
dcncIira;.cps have the ZANE Protestant
Bible, Ou! TIC ti@s:cEce IN the One case
as III ihs p..eE an-ea GU: Of this intrrp1e.
tatioa oi TIE rgLcuiay u Tie Two backs.
So the EapSTatr Cxia,eEcu OF :2s Southern
church e AZ much dsmanGad, because OF
the widely different Interpretation OF the
larg IEgu 0! that cyr!ie:a.ou Of faith IN mat
tera beta 81 IJcirlG. md government, ns
the separate existence OF other teuOm!na.
tons o. Christians 10 Gamauded, because
they are no. gNi!i ;."utiy agreed in their
essential :aagaLs - Constitute Uaa organic
body.
1t you'd seeu from this language that
the the0!3.itt7 Of The Southern church
must have guae deep down into the gulf
oil sepa.&t;Gc gni discovered by the light
o! s!ars 10: visible 70 people above these
omiuCUs o!tsrcac.s TO which they aIude.
Inlsmucn Is they Do not explain Just
what thcy 40 Mintiny St We are bound to
ageUmc thai il lie the old cnsu Jeiii. No.
body ever heard Of any irreconcieable
d!Gererc.a in the Presbyterian church
oulsdc OF that issue, add outside OF that
issue we venture they wars Just 20 united
in their carrch vieT3 Nc anybody Of re.
ligioRista il tEg c2Hatfy. /! lea new Gig
covery thas they nave lad and have nov
essentiai differences Of wider scope.
Il is ai'or all 4 cDusaling r,li .ctio1 thGt
tina ana dtAta 10 IA important work
in this world TIN! ~ other oraHcies csn
accomplish Ard "r,h;sE thu. in few
years more trva '~v li-,rsn.. will do a
good deal Tor 'hr S3u:.'5a Pyrabyteri; n
wing Ct tho chn'r0.